Taking a Chance on Tony
by Kristen3
Summary: Alternate ending to "Sleep Talk, Sweet Talk." When Tony tracks Angela down at the bar, neither is prepared for the life-changing turn their conversation takes.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **I haven't watched WTB? in ages, but I've kind of been thinking about it lately. I watched an episodes online, and it reignited my love for the show. This resulted. Please R&R! :)

Tony couldn't help sighing with relief when he opened the door of the bar and saw Angela there. "There you are," he said, walking in.

Angela looked up when she heard the familiar voice. "Hi," she answered, quickly looking away.

"I've been looking all over for you," Tony said, noticing that he sounded a bit annoyed. Well, he had a right to. What kind of person doesn't show up for their own birthday party?

"I'm sorry. I just wasn't really in the mood for a party." Once again, Angela avoided looking at him.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Is this because of….you know, what you said?"

"No," Angela lied, blushing a bit.

"Come on," Tony said. He didn't believe her for a second.

"OK, maybe a little," she admitted. "I was just too embarrassed to go home. I mean, you know Mother. She's been going on about it all day. Not to mention what the kids must think of me."

"We were all worried about you. Even Mona." It was true; Angela's mother had expressed concern for her daughter, in between bites of the birthday cake that had sat waiting for her.

"Oh, come on. You're just saying that." But even as she said it, Angela knew it wasn't true. That's just the kind of guy Tony was.

"I am not. It's your birthday, for God's sake. You shouldn't spend it here….alone."

"I couldn't face _you_," Angela said, knowing that was the real issue.

"Angela, why? We live in the same house, we raise each other's kids."

"Yeah, but I said _I love you_, and everyone heard me. Everything's going to be different now."

"It doesn't have to be," Tony said. That made her look up at him finally. "Really. Nothing has to change."

"Nothing?" Angela asked in surprise.

"Nope, not a thing. Unless you want it to change?"

For a moment, Angela wasn't sure what to say. After all, what she'd wanted was for things to not be awkward with Tony. But what if she did take a chance? The idea was scary, of course, but something in his expression made her wonder…..

Tony watched her. He had thought she wanted everything to stay the same. But now she seemed unsure. "Do you _want _something to change?" Tony couldn't believe what he seeing or hearing.

"I don't know," Angela admitted. She uttered a soft laugh. "Mother would probably tell me to take a chance. But, of course, that's not my style."

"No," Tony laughed. "But there's no reason it couldn't be."

"Tony! Are you saying you think we should...change our relationship?"

"Yeah. But only if you're sure you want to."

Angela said nothing. She still seemed unable to make up her mind.

Tony saw this wouldn't be a quick decision, so he sat down next to her. "Back when I played ball, I didn't always know what to do, either."

"You didn't?" Angela couldn't hide her surprise. She'd always assumed that Tony was confident in his abilities on the ball field.

Tony shook his head. "There were lots of times I stood there on second base, knowing I could try to steal third. I knew I might not make it. But, Angela, at some point, I had to just take the shot."

"What are you saying?" His sports analogy had gone mostly over her head.

"I'm saying, if we wait for the perfect time, it might never come. Sometimes you just gotta take the chance, you know?"

"You sound an awful lot like Mother," Angela said with a laugh.

"Yeah, well, Mona knows a thing or two." Tony shrugged.

Angela couldn't believe this. Just a few minutes ago, she'd been too embarrassed to even face Tony, and now she was seriously considering taking a chance on a relationship with him. She could think of a thousand reasons why this was a bad idea. Her failed marriage, for one. Their respective relationships with Sam and Jonathan for another. The fact that they couldn't be more different. But, looking at Tony now, none of those things seemed to matter. "Tony, I'm not somebody who makes rash decisions." She smiled, knowing how she agonized over the smallest details in her advertising campaigns.

"I know," Tony said. "Usually I am, but this is the first time I don't want to rush into anything. We've got a good thing going already, we don't want to mess that up."

"No," Angela agreed, smiling. How had she never really noticed how handsome he was? Even though she was well aware of how scary this was, she somehow felt safe with Tony. Suddenly, she stood. "Come on," she said, taking his hand in hers. "Let's go to a birthday party."


	2. Chapter 2

Angela could barely breathe as Tony drove her home. She'd been in a car with him dozens of times, yet somehow, something was different. She knew he felt it too. She resisted the urge to second-guess her decision. She just kept thinking of her mother, and the advice she often gave about living for today. Before Angela knew it, and certainly before she was ready, they had reached her house.

"Ready to celebrate?" Tony asked as he parked the car.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Angela replied, hoping she sounded more confident then she felt.

Tony smiled at her. He could see she was nervous, but he knew there was no reason to be. Everyone would be glad to see her safe and sound. And the news they had to share would only make the occasion happier.

Taking a deep breath, Angela got out of the car. They walked up to the front door. Once again, this was a very familiar thing, yet something was unmistakably different. Tony opened the door. _Here goes nothing_, Angela thought.

"Mom!" Jonathan immediately ran to his mother, hugging her tightly. "We were all so worried."

"Thank you, Sweetheart," Angela said, returning the embrace. "I'm fine, as you can see. I'm sorry for ruining everyone's evening." She smiled, a bit embarrassed.

Mona watched Tony and Angela. Something had definitely changed since the last time she'd seen her daughter. "So, what happened? Where did you run off to?"

"I found her in a bar," Tony answered.

Whatever answer Mona had been expecting, it sure wasn't that. "You were in a _bar_?"

"It's not like that," Angela said. "I wasn't drinking. At least, not alcohol. I just wasn't really in the mood for a birthday party."

"Angela, I've known you since you were born," Mona said. "Do you really think I don't know when you're lying?"

Tony turned to his boss. "I guess we better tell them the truth. It's not like we can hide it forever."

"Hide what forever?" Samantha asked. She was beginning to suspect that this secret, whatever it was, involved her father.

"Is there any of that cake left?" Angela asked, hoping for a distraction.

"You can have cake later," Mona said. "First tell us the juicy details!"

"There are no 'juicy details,' Mother. Tony and I just had a little talk…..about us."

"Us?" Samantha asked. "You mean as in you and Dad?" She got up from the couch. "Oh, Angela!" She tightly hugged her father's boss.

"Well, don't get _too _excited, Sam. We're not engaged or anything. We're just…..going to see h ow things go."

Sam looked at Jonathan. "You hear that, Squirt? We're practically family!"

"Sam, we're already family," Tony said. Whatever the relationship between him and Angela, he, Samantha, Jonathan and were indeed bonded for life.

"Yeah, but we might _really_ be family," Sam said.

"We're not getting married," Angela said. She'd never expected anyone would think they'd gone that far!

"You may not be there yet," Mona said. "But I have a feeling…."

"Mother!" Angela said in surprise.

Mona walked toward her daughter, taking hold of both her hands. "Angela, you're my daughter, and I love you. But I think I speak for everyone here when I say _it's about time_!"

Samantha nodded. "We've all kind of been waiting for this."

"Hey, oh, you guys knew about us?" Tony asked in surprise.

"Dad, _everyone _knew!" Sam said.

Jonathan nodded. "I'm just a kid, and even I knew!"

Angela couldn't be more surprised. She had known she and Tony had feelings for each other, though they'd never been sure what those feelings were, exactly. But she'd never suspected her own son was wondering when they would make things official. Maybe Jonathan was more mature than she'd given him credit for. That thought was tough to swallow. She didn't like the idea of him growing up. He was still her little boy, after all.

Angela brushed those thoughts aside. For now, she decided to follow her mother's example and think only about the present. This was still her birthday party, after all. "You know, I think I'd like a piece of that cake now, if there's any left."

Tony gave a teasing glance at Mona. She'd put quite a dent in the cake, though she'd saved some.

Mona saw Tony's mock-glare and shrugged. "Well, dear, you were gone an awfully long time..."

"Just get the cake," Tony said, rolling his eyes.

With a nod, Mona obeyed. She shoved the candles into what was left of the cake and lit them. "Make a wish, Angela."

Angela smiled at Tony. She had a lot more to celebrate than she had ever imagined. In fact, she realized she didn't even need to make a wish, because her life was pretty perfect right now.

**The End**


End file.
